More Than This by Dominique Wolf

CHAPTER 18:

Giovanni

H

ow many times was I going to have to watch her walk away from me?

I stood frozen, staring at the closed elevator doors. I gave her one last chance to make the right decision for us and she chose to walk away again. It killed me more than it did the first time because I stupidly allowed myself to have a flicker of hope last night. I was so angry. I was angry that I ever allowed myself to think things would be different. I half-expected her to fight for us but that was a foolish thing to think. She clearly had her mind made up.

“She didn't have to leave like that,” Casey shouted from the lounge, bringing me out of my own thoughts.

I completely forgot about the doctor's appointment with Casey today. The last thing I wanted to do was have Casey rock up here while I was with Isabella. I took a deep breath in as the anger rolled through me. I turned and walked back to the kitchen. Casey had made herself comfortable on the couch and leaned her arms over the top, facing me.

“Why did she run off in a hurry?”

“Casey, don't.” I reached for the headache tablets from the counter and popped two onto my hands.

She stood up and walked over to the counter. “Well, I think it's a good thing she left. I don't know how comfortable I would be with her tagging along to our appointments.”

I reached for the glass of water and downed my tablets. Each word coming out of Casey's mouth was piercing me and I was struggling to keep myself from snapping. I didn't want to fucking deal with her. I wanted to fix things with Isabella. That was all I wanted to do and the fact that she was the major obstacle in my way was driving me crazy.

“Isabella won't be coming around anymore,” I muttered.

There was no point in hiding that from her. Isabella had her mind made up and last night didn't change anything for her.

Casey's eyes lit up. “Did you guys break-up?”

I averted my eyes and said nothing.

I noticed her smiling from the corner of my eye. She could be a real bitch sometimes. I kept hoping she would keep her mouth shut now. I didn't want to hear one more word from her about Isabella and me. I placed my empty glass back on the counter and turned to make my way upstairs.

“We need to leave in five minutes,” she changed the subject. “I don't want to be late.”

I didn't even make it past the first step before I stopped in my tracks, remembering what Reyna mentioned last night. How did I know I was the father? What proof did she have of that?

I turned back to Casey and walked over to where she was standing.

“What?” she asked.

“What's your doctor's name?”

“Dr. Gonzalez.”

“Do you think Dr. Gonzalez could do a paternity test for me?”

Casey jerked her head and her eyes brimmed with anger as she processed what I had just asked her.

“You want a paternity test?”

I nodded.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Her eyes narrowed, fuming with anger.

“No I'm not, Casey.” I tried to keep my voice as calm as possible. “I think it's fair for me to ask that of you. How do I know this baby is even mine?”

“Of course it's yours!” she objected.

“We don't know that for sure.”

Her jaw dropped and her hand suddenly came up, connecting with the side of my face. I froze as the stinging continued to spread across my cheek. The anger tore through my veins and it took all the self-control I had left to remain expressionless.

“How dare you say that to me, Giovanni?”

I turned to face her and noticed the underlying hurt now taking up residence in her eyes. I didn't even feel bad. Any attraction or feelings I had towards Casey had disappeared a long time ago.

Truth was, I didn't really care for her at all.

“I think it's fair of me to ask that, Casey,” I repeated calmly. “I'm going to get changed and then we can go to the appointment.”

Without another word, I turned and made my way upstairs.